Plush, Pillowy Luxury...Downsized: The 1977 Oldsmobile 98 Regency

[NINETY EIGHT REGENCY]

 

[Drew Dowdell]

The attractiveness of this already good-looking car went up 10-fold in its 1980 refresh when it got the formal roofline. I know that the tendency is to want a sloping rear glass for "sportiness", but that is not at all what this car is about and the upright roofline gave this car gravitas.

This was a car you arrived in.

 

Observe.... dat ass

[oldshurst442]

I love these.  Owned a very tired 1985 Delta 88 in the late '90s.   Dark blue.  Blue velour interior.  Wire wheels.   I just never knew what engine powered it.  It was a beater so I never really had that much interest in finding out.    

Looked like this

[Drew Dowdell]

3 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

I love these.  Owned a very tired 1985 Delta 88 in the late '90s.   Dark blue.  Blue velour interior.  Wire wheels.   I just never knew what engine powered it.  It was a beater so I never really had that much interest in finding out.    

Looked like this

99.9% chance it was the Olds 307, the same as my car.  My reasoning for that is that I think you would have figured out if it was the 350 diesel ... at least after the first fillup.  There was also an extremely rare credit option for the Buick 3.8 liter, but you would have mentioned something about it being even more pathetically slow than what you got (ever been outrun by an '80s diesel Rabbit? That engine in that car could manage it).  While the 307 is no speed demon, it has 250 lb foot of torque at like 12 rpm, so it still feels like it's got thrust.

So you had a 307.

[oldshurst442]

19 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

99.9% chance it was the Olds 307, the same as my car.  My reasoning for that is that I think you would have figured out if it was the 350 diesel ... at least after the first fillup.  There was also an extremely rare credit option for the Buick 3.8 liter, but you would have mentioned something about it being even more pathetically slow than what you got (ever been outrun by an '80s diesel Rabbit? That engine in that car could manage it).  While the 307 is no speed demon, it has 250 lb foot of torque at like 12 rpm, so it still feels like it's got thrust.

So you had a 307.

Yeah...it wasnt a diesel.    And yeah...it was a V8. 

When I say I didnt know what engine it was, it was because I thought it was a Chevy 305  when I bought it. Same engine that was in my dad's then new 1979 Impala.   I was thinking that because I was privy to news that GM had put the Chevy 305 into everything so I never even gave an afterthought that it might have something else...   Rumours of the time, especially me not having access to the REAL truth, rumours said that GM had nixed all other brand's engines and was using Chevys.  After being on automotive forums, I figured it was an Olds 307.   Had the internets been available in the late 1980s or had I had access to the internets in 1996, I would have known then.    

I would have nullified all misinformations and half truths.

The internets are a blessing for such things like getting all the facts straight and correct!!! 

 🤔

Huh...wait a minute...something aint right with what I said... What could it be???

 

 

Edited March 18 by oldshurst442

[Drew Dowdell]

4 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

Yeah...it wasnt a diesel.    And yeah...it was a V8. 

When I say I didnt know what engine it was, it was because I thought it was a Chevy 305  when I bought it. Same engine that was in my dad's then new 1979 Impala.   I was thinking that because I was privy to news that GM had put the Chevy 305 into everything so I never even gave an afterthought that it might have something else...   Rumours of the time, especially me not having access to the REAL truth, rumours said that GM had nixed all other brand's engines and was using Chevys.  After being on automotive forums, I figured it was an Olds 307.   Had the internets been available in the late 1980s or had I had access to the internets in 1996, I would have known then.    

I know, I'm just messing with ya.  While it was only 2 c.i. bigger, the Olds 307 had more torque and at a lower RPM... so while a race between a Caprice and an Eighty-Eight would have been like watching snails drag race, the Olds would have pulled it out in the end.

[oldshurst442]

I knew you were messin' with me.  I wanted to make a funny too.  About the internets being soooo reliable with truth.  

By the time I got my hands on it, that 307 was very tired.  It was slower than my dad's 1986 Iron Duke Celebrity so I dont think I was winning a race  with my 88 and a bicycle let alone VWs.    

[David]

At least new development in electric hybrid motors could possibly make having a stately Olds style auto a possibility.

The TwinTorq motor for Electric Vehicles reduces power demand on the battery by replacing low efficiency electric energy with high efficiency hydraulic energy during launch and low speed acceleration. This preserves battery energy to extend driving range by up to 45%, depending on the vehicle’s drive cycle, or enables the use of smaller batteries for equivalent range.

Could make having those upright windows and blunt nose more doable.

Charged EVs | TwinTorq says its electric/hydraulic motor extends EV range and battery life - Charged EVs

TwinTorq Technology by Kerstech boosts performance of EVs

It is going to be interesting over the coming decade as we see people who like these old autos go one of two ways. Traditionalist will go ICE and keep it all original. Modernist will use E-Crate Solutions and update all electrical to low use LED, Displays, etc. Getting ride of bulbs, manual gauges, etc.

Exciting times for cars we like/love.

[Drew Dowdell]

1 hour ago, David said:

At least new development in electric hybrid motors could possibly make having a stately Olds style auto a possibility.

It's already possible. I have one now.

[NINETY EIGHT REGENCY]